


It's not all roses

by Pen_pen (orphan_account)



Category: Runaways (Comics), Runaways (TV 2017)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Alternate Universe - No Powers, Angst with a Happy Ending, Comedy, F/F, Fluff and Angst, Fluff and Crack, How Do I Tag, I Don't Even Know, The ship is sailing, What Have I Done, mentions of abuse, so much drama, this is a hot mess
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-12-28
Updated: 2020-02-23
Packaged: 2021-02-24 19:07:04
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 8
Words: 15,989
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/22002952
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/orphan_account/pseuds/Pen_pen
Summary: “Two weeks. I bet I can change your view on love in two week.”To say Nico’s love life is a disaster would be an understatement. The huge Alex disaster, the not-so-huge Victor disaster, hell, even a Chase disaster happened (and who can forget that bastard Topher). And let’s not even begin with the huge shitstorm that is her parents. Suffice to say, Nico’s not too keen on love. After one too many fails with lady love, Nico’s pretty much relented to being an emotionally unavailable 23 year old who will grow up to be that lonely cat lady everyone has on their block.So when a pretty blonde thinks that she can change Nico’s view in two weeks? Well, it does raise some eyebrows.
Relationships: Chase Stein/Gertrude Yorkes, Karolina Dean/Nico Minoru
Comments: 15
Kudos: 207
Collections: Runaways Big Bang 2019





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> Hello there good readers! Yes, it is I, finally back, with another fic for the Runaways 2019 Bigbang. If you had been reading my other hot mess of a fic and came here, thanks for putting up with me. If you're new, welcome to my hot mess, as I like to call it.
> 
> Anyway, this fic will update every Saturday. As for my other one... we'll have to see.
> 
> Anyway, I hope you enjoy this one

Life for Nico is pretty much the same everyday. Wake up in the afternoon, do her business before work, go to work, come home, or on the occasions she feels like it, spend the night at a stranger’s house, which usually means Victor or Chase has to pick her up, though she much prefers Victor (who doesn’t pass the message Gert often leaves with her boyfriend about Nico’s behavior).

Admittedly, it’s a boring life, but it pays the bills. Of course, Gert would say that she needs to get out more and live a little, but to be fair, Nico already has enough dealing with Gert and Chase’s disgustingly cute relationship.

Which brings her to her current predicament. Amy and Alex happen to be in town and the gang decided to catch up at the very bar Nico works at, much to the gang’s amusement and Nico’s bemusement. They’ve been calling her over for the past hour to play pool with them and to make it worse for the Asian American, her boss Earl is even encouraging her to take a break and join them (of course, he reminds her that drinking on the job is forbidden). Despite the promises of a generous tip (courtesy of Alex being terrible at pool), Nico remained rooted behind the bar counter, serving drinks to the regular customers and ignoring Amy’s brown eyes following her every move.

Of course, she misses her sister very much as Amy’s job at Wizard requires her to be flying across the globe for major events and conventions, most recently a month long trip to France to meet with some business partners. The sisters haven’t met face to face in a few months, not since Nico graduated from university and only Amy showed up towards the end of the ceremony. The younger Minoru still remembers how angry she was on the phone with her mother and father, how she threw away the bouquet of flowers and shredded the crisp note of apologies and congrats from them. Most importantly, she remembers walking into The Red Otter for the bartending job despite having no experience instead of the Wizard office for the promised job Tina had waiting to give her children.

Truthfully, Nico did it out of spite towards her mother, but she had come to enjoy her job at the bar. The calm but occasionally rowdy customers, the tiniest hint of the tobacco smell even though smoking is banned in the bar, the warm and welcoming decor, made all by hand, and of course, her boss Earl. The said owner of the bar was a short, stocky man in his forties, with graying brown hair and a thick mustache and beard, glowing brown eyes and deep laugh lines. Earl was the kind of boss that never questioned Nico’s intentions whether they be good or bad and generally didn’t stick his head into people’s business (although he has become sort of a fatherly figure to Nico over the past year, which means he stuck his head into her life more than his other employees). For the most part, Earl let his staff do what they wanted so long as they were professional, did their jobs, and did not steal from him. Nico liked him and her job well enough to follow his rules, even when he encouraged her to loosen up and sometimes even take the night off. Ignoring Chase’s shout to join them for a round of pool for the nth time, Nico reached down to polish some dusty glasses.

“Hey.”

Nico didn’t need to turn around to know that her sister was sitting in front of her. Grunting, the bartender kept her back turned to her sister in the hopes that she would get the message, knowing full that Amy will ignore her wishes, as her stubbornness often wins out.

“Mom was upset you didn’t show up for the charity gala.”

_ Of course she was. _ Turning around, Nico began making Amy’s drink, not responding to her. She didn’t need to ask what her sister wanted, considering she’s ordered the same drink since walking into the Red Otter. Straining Amy’s drink into the martini glass, Nico finally acknowledged her as she set the drink down, sneering “more like she was disappointed she couldn’t show off the fact that her family was still picture perfect despite what dad did.” Nico waited a beat before continuing, “she left a voicemail.”

( _ “Nico, It’s your mother. I assume you know why I was calling. I understand you’re still quite upset with your father and I, but really, this has gone on far enough. Your sister had to spend the entire evening making up excuses as to why you weren’t there tonight. You should thank her and apologize to her when she stops by next week. The job is still here when you finally stop this nonsense.” _ )

Amy sighed, “she really wanted to see you Nico. She hasn’t seen you since we found out about dad’s- “

“Affair with Janet, I know. Well, you can tell her that if she really gave a damn about me, she should come see me instead of sending you.” The words were said with more anger than Nico had expected, causing some of the patrons to turn their attention to her, but a glare from their bartender had them returning to their own conversations. Taking an empty glass, Nico cleaned it with more force than necessary, almost scratching the surface. Amy, however, sighed, taking a sip from her martini, “mom misses you, Nico. But she has work and you don’t want to see her anyway. I know how stubborn you both can be, but one of you has to let up. Mom has reached out, maybe you should stop by for dinner with dad instead then. He misses you too. The gang wants some shots lined up, by the way. Loser has to take a shot.” Grumbling, Nico nevertheless got started on the order, knowing well in advance that Alex will probably be drinking most of them, “I doubt she misses me when she’s got you: perfect grades, captain of the tennis team, graduated top in her classes, and a perfect boyfriend,” scoffing, Nico measured out the tequila, “what more could she possibly want?”

“That’s not fair, Nico, you know mom loves you just the way you are.”

“Then name one time she didn’t compare me to you.”

Amy paused, unable to come up with an answer, and distracted herself by downing the rest of her martini. Taking the glass from her sister, the younger Minoru huffed, eyes softening, “look, I got over you and Alex a long time ago. I- I’m not angry at you, alright? It’s just mom and dad, not you.” It was true, when Alex and Amy first got together, not long after he and Nico broke up, she was furious. She had accused Alex of using her to get close to Amy and had refused to talk to the pair for several weeks until she cooled down. Of course, after that point, the trio were never as close as they used to be, but Nico did care and love her sister.

Alex, well, that’s a different story.

“Hey, just came to get my drinks. I lost three times in a row. Chase is calling for the Minorus to join and give him a real challenge.”

Sliding off the high stool with elegance, Amy pecked her boyfriend’s cheek, “keep Nico company while you take your punishment, yeah? I’ll have Chase switch with you soon.”

Nico really didn’t want company, but let it be. Reaching to make more drinks, she didn’t make eye contact with Alex as he drank his three shots, face scrunched up at how strong the shots were.

“What did you put in these drinks? I feel like my stomach is falling out.”

Picking up the shot glasses, Nico grunted, glancing at Alex. The man hadn’t changed at all, although his new haircut made him look more professional. He still had the same boxy glasses, the same eyes, hell, even his fashion sense was still the same. Looking at her ex-boyfriend now, Nico wonders what the teenage her saw in him. The awkward post-breakup tension filled the area, adding to the silence that passed between the two friends. 

Rubbing the back of his neck, Alex decided he had to break the silence, “I guess Amy talked to you about your mom.”

Grunting her answer, the bartender went about wiping the counter with practiced ease while Alex fiddled with his fingers.

“Molly’s doing great in school. Heard that she was put in charge of her year’s dance team.”

Nico’s already heard of all this, considering that Gert and Chase were sending her videos of her performances, but she supposes that she can appreciate Alex’s effort in trying to start a conversation.

“So uh… I don’t know if Amy told you this, but Pride wants to plan a vacation for the summer, you know, to celebrate Pride’s anniversary.”

Pausing, Nico turned to look at Alex for the first time since he walked into The Red Otter, confused as to what he was talking about, “I have no idea what you’re talking about, Wilder.”

Quickly pulling out the ornate garnet envelope from his pocket, Alex passed it to Nico, “I didn’t think so. Here, Amy forgot to get this from our hotel,” clearing his throat, Alex tapped the counter, “It’s a Pride owned island and they just want us to be there and have a little fun. It’s been years since we all got together, well if you don’t count tonight. This might be fun, you know, the beaches, the food, massages.”

Opening the envelope to reveal the expectedly over-the-top design of the invitation and directions to the airport, planned for two weeks’ time, Nico scoffed, “I’m not interested.” She passed the envelope back to Alex, only for it to be pressed back into her hands.

“Keep it. Who knows, you might change your mind.”

When Nico opened her mouth to protest, Amy’s voice cut her off, “Alex, time for you to switch with Chase! Nico, get those shots lined up!”

Sighing, Nico quickly tossed the envelope onto the back table before returning to serve her patrons.

* * *

When all the guests and fellow coworkers left The Red Otter, only Nico remained, alongside Earl, to finish the rest of the clean up and closing of the bar. It was early in the morning and all Nico wanted to do was return to her apartment and sleep. Closing all the lights in the bar, Nico shrugged on her messenger bag and was getting ready to leave before a hand rested on her shoulders. Turning around, Earl shoved the garnet envelope into Nico’s face.

“Take it.”

“Boss-”

Grunting, Earl patted his employee’s shoulder, “I don’t claim to know what’s going on, that’s your business, but your friend’s right. Even if you say no now, you might say yes later on. Take it, think on it. You’re a good kid, Nico and my best bartender. If you want to go, call in a week before.” Not waiting on Nico, Earl walked out, leaving the envelope in Nico’s hands.

Running a hand through her hair, Nico decided that she didn’t want to hear an earful from Earl or Amy or even Gert when they find out that she threw it out. Shoving it into her bag, Nico walked to her motorcycle, dumping her bag beneath the seat, and set a course back to her apartment.

She’ll deal with it when she’s gotten some sleep.


	2. Chapter 2

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello there good readers, it is I, back with another chapter. In this chapter, we sort of explore the group dynamics a little bit and the role Nico plays in it. Hope you guys enjoy and come back next week for so drama!

That damned envelope has been mocking Nico for the past three days. Even when the envelope is not physically there, the right shade of red will remind Nico of it. It doesn’t help that the trip is all the other Pride kids would talk about, annoying the dark haired woman. If this is their way of trying to convince her to go with them, then it certainly isn’t working.

_ I’m doing it to shut them up _ is was Nico, dressed in black sweats and a hoodie she picked up from the floor, tells herself as she takes her suitcase out of the trunk of her Uber, an escort standing at the entrance of the airport to guide her to where everyone else was. Scowling at the escort, Nico waved the man’s hand away when he tried to help her with her suitcase. She hated the special treatment she got just because she was a trust fund child, though she did later thank the man for his assistance when she got to the waiting room. It wasn’t his fault, he was just doing his job and unfortunately, he had to be the one to be escorting Nico Minoru who didn’t have her morning coffee.

Dumping her suitcase onto the couch, Nico mumbled a thanks when Amy, ever the loving sister, passed a cup of coffee to her, scrunching her face up at the bitterness.

Dropping a few sugar cubes into her coffee, Nico turned to her sister, muttering under her breath, “tell me we’re not flying with the parents. I refuse to be on the same plane with Tina for all the money in the world.” Amy huffed, expecting that answer from her sister, but nevertheless replied back, “mom and the parents are going to be flying in from France. They had a meeting there.” Seeing Nico stiffen up at the thought of the inevitable fate of seeing her parents, Amy cleared her throat, eyes looking around to make sure none of the others were listening before leaning in, “the parents are staying in another villa away from us. I know I shouldn’t be encouraging this but if you don’t want to see mom, I’m not going to stop you.”

Letting out a breath of relief, Nico leaned her head back against the soft cushion of the couch. She knows that holding onto a grudge is not healthy, but she supposes that stubbornness runs in the family. Before Nico could fall into a short nap, Chase, coming back from checking to see that everything was okay with the plane, noticed that the younger Minoru had showed up. Eyes lighting up with joy, Chase makes his way to Nico and drags her away from Amy, chatting about how exciting the trip will be and all the other things that Nico couldn’t bother to listen to. Dragging her into the connecting room where Molly and Alex were in an intense match of Mario Kart, Chase tapped on Molly’s shoulder, making her lose focus just long enough for Alex’s character to race pass her to the finish line. Upset at the loss, Molly turned around, ready to pummel Chase when she noticed the half-asleep Nico.

Jumping towards Nico, Molly gave her friend a crushing bear hug, “Nico! It’s so nice to see that you’re coming along. Did you see the practice video Gert sent you? Did I do good? Did you like it? Chase and I have something exciting to tell you!” Despite being insanely tired, Nico smiled at the younger girl’s enthusiasm, even if she could not return the gesture with as much energy. Molly chattered on as Chase led them into a corner, pulling up chairs and cushions to form a mock fortress, much to Alex’s amusement (he quietly snapped a picture to show Gert and Amy later).

Getting comfortable on the carpeted floor, Nico suddenly jumped when something fluffy bumped into her shoulders. Turning around, Nico forced her body to relax when large copper eyes stared back at her. The fluffy tail flicked as the large black and brown cat blinked up at her before meowing, standing up on its hind legs to press its front legs against Nico’s face, tickling her face with its fur. Moving its paws off her face (the cat wasn’t too pleased, meowing indignantly), Nico picked up the maine coon, mumbling under breath that Gert needs to stop feeding it, and dumps the cat onto her lap.

“Is this how you greet everyone who buys you premium cat food every time I stop by, Old Lace?”

At the mention of food, the cat-Old Lace- perked up, only to yowl and swipe at Nico when she discovered there was no food. Chase and Molly laughed as Old Lace wacked Nico with her tail before settling down, causing Nico huff at the cat’s antics.

Chase rubbed his chin, “So, the reason I pulled you over here.” He suddenly grew quiet, prompting Old Lace to meow, as if ordering him to finish his thought.

Taking in a deep breath, Chase looked at Nico, blue eyes shining with apprehension and joy, “I want to propose to Gert during this trip.”

Nico blinked once, then twice, the information slowly being processed in her brain. When it finally registered what Chase said, Nico couldn’t help but look surprised, eyes widening in shock.. While she herself believes that love only leads to pain and suffering, Nico admittedly felt a little giddy at the thought before she scowled, “hope you’re ready for marriage, Stein. It’s not going to be smooth sailing,” Nico’s brown eyes darken, “love isn’t easy. It’s painful and a lot of work. You guys might not even last.”

Taking note of the double message, Chase nodded, reaching out to stroke Old Lace, who purred at the attention she is receiving, “I… I’m not going to make the same mistake. I promise.” Making eye contact with Nico, Chase hoped that he conveyed his thoughts and feelings to his friend, smiling when Nico nodded, though her brown eyes were still stormy with emotions. Nico sighed, conflicted on whether to support her friends or not, but ultimately decided to put her own feelings aside to congratulate her friend.

“I assume you have a ring.”

Old Lace meowed, stretching her body towards Molly, who wrestled with her bag to pull out a red velvet box. The dancer puffed her chest out in pride, “I helped Chase pick out the perfect ring. If he wants to be my brother-in-law, he better have gotten the perfect ring and who better to pick out the perfect ring than Gert’s sister?” Molly had said that a little too loud, almost catching Gert’s attention. Luckily, Old Lace and Chase sprang into action, Old Lace barrelling into Molly, using her body to cover Molly’s face (much to the girl’s surprise) nd Chase shoving the velvet box into Nico’s hands, who dutifully shoved the box into her hoodie. After making sure that Gert was out of earshot, Chase gestured with his sneakers to drop the box into Molly’s bag. Unfortunately, Molly took this opportunity to wack Old Lace, trying to get the large cat off of her.

What started off as a civilized conversation quickly turned into a wrestling match when Old Lace started to chase Molly around, jumping onto the coffee table before pouncing on Molly, alerting the rest of the group to their side as Molly and Old Lace rolled around on the carpet, laughing despite the weight of a giant cat on top of her. Amy and Gert stepped forward to pick up the maine coon, laughing as Old Lace tried to smoosh Gert’s face with her paws. Alex smiled his awkward smile as he helped Chase and Nico put the chairs and cushions back, though Nico still avoided him like a plague, much to his disappointment. By the time all the chairs and cushions were put back, Amy informed them that their plane was ready for them and they scrambled to get on the plane, Old Lace being carried by Chase.

  
  


Molly and Chase, ever the mischievous pair, dragged Nico all the way to the back when the group finally got on the private jet, much to Gert’s confusion as her sister and boyfriend giggled like schoolgirls while Nico’s face showed her obvious displeasure. Before Gert could move to intervene, Amy pulled her back, a secretive glint in her eyes, “let them be, Gert.”

“But-”

“Molly hasn’t seen Nico in months and Chase looks like he’s having fun. Even Nico seems like she’s enjoying their company. Let them have their fun, besides,” suddenly, Amy’s eyes softened, “the three of them have a lot in common.”

Quickly understanding Amy’s meaning, Gert looked back to the trio lounging by the bar. It did seem like they were just fine, though she did notice that Chase had put Nico behind the bar, Molly seemingly posing as a patron and trying to coax Nico in to giving her a glass, Chase laughing at Molly trying to imitate him. Glaring, Gert was quick to ensure that her sister wasn’t up to no good.

“Molly! You better not be drinking! Nico, if I find out you gave her an ounce of alcohol, I will throw you out of this plane!”

Molly groaned while Nico glanced at the youngest of the group in amusement before passing her a glass of juice. Nico then turned to Chase, who was pouring himself some water, “how do you plan on proposing?”

Like a deer caught in the headlights, Chase chuckled awkwardly, eyes suddenly finding the bar counter interesting, “I was hoping you can help me with that.”

“Chase…”

“I know I know! But listen to me,” the brunette leaned in, blue puppy eyes staring up at Nico, “you’re like my best friend and Gert’s best friend too. I thought you could help me.”

Rubbing her temple in frustration, Nico glared at Chase, “how the hell am I supposed to help you? If you can’t figure it out, I should be the last person you talk you, even if I’m your best friend.”

“At least hear me out.”

Molly used this opportunity to speak up, “yeah Nico! Aren’t bartenders supposed to listen to her customer’s woes?”

“No.”

“Well make an exception”

When Nico saw that Chase and Molly were not budging, she sighed in defeat, “fine.” Nico reached behind her and pulled out a bottle of wine, “at least let me get a drink first.”

Blue eyes lighting up like a child on Christmas Day, Chase pulled out a piece of paper and began to brainstorm his ideas with Molly and Nico. While Molly and Chase chatted away, Nico looked up to see her sister looking back with a soft smile while Gert and Alex were engaged in a deep conversation.

Scowling, Nico looked away, prompting Amy to laugh at her sister’s stubbornness before looking down at her phone. A ping from her phone alerted Nico, who pulled it out.

_ Amy (10:34 AM): Glad to see you’re having fun.  _

Huffing, Nico quickly shoved her phone back in her pockets when Molly and Chase started to argue about whether or not Chase’s idea was stupid. Watching her friends interacting (Chase and Molly arguing, Gert and Alex also arguing, Amy trying to placate them) like this, tugged at the woman’s heart, putting a small smile on her face.

_ I… I guess you’re right.  _

Blinking, Nico realized she doesn’t know how long the plane ride will be. Turning to Chase, who was still arguing with Molly, she asked how long it would take to get to the island.

“Oh! Like 10 hours, why?”

Groaning at the thought of being on the plane for ten hours, Nico mumbled, “now I really need a drink to get me through this.”


	3. Chapter 3

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> New week new chapter and the promised drama! What could it be? Well, you'll have to read to find out!

To no one’s surprise, the island resort was beautiful, with it lush greenery towards the back of the villa and the beach with crystal blue waters at the front, the Pride certainly wasn’t lacking in funds nor were they looking for something modest. The villa itself seemed to wrap around a good chunk of the island, making full use of its hillside landscape, and was a marvel to look at (thought Nico and Chase made fun of the fact that it was a pristine white surrounded by things that could stain and dirty its walls). Architecturally, it was a combination of modern and older architecture, implying that it has been remodelled and added on to, if the offshoot buildings connecting to the villa were any indication. At the center of the courtyard was a man-made pond and small walkways to get from one side to the other. While most of the interior seemed to be a more european design, Nico found that some of the wings had their own architectural style, clearly pointing to who decided to add onto the villa (she couldn’t help but be impressed with the japanese architecture of the Northwest Wing that clearly had her mother’s name on it and was just as impressed the Yorkes’ mismatch styled wing as well). Overall, when examined carefully, the villa was really a clash of multiple personalities coming together yet still finding a way to blend in.

Dumping her bags into one of the rooms, Nico debated moving to the Japanese wing, but ultimately decided on one of the rooms in the northeastern wing while everyone else chose a wing that suited their purposes. Nico’s room was rather plain, mostly white with splashes of color here and there, along with a walk in closet and a bathroom that was unnecessarily large. The room also led to a balcony that overlooked the ocean, with a small seating area set up. Checking in on her friends, Nico was surprised to find that everyone chose a room relatively close to each other, allowing them to find one another with relative ease, though Amy made sure to remind everyone to be safe and to tell her if they have any problems.

The first few days were relatively uneventful for Nico, who opted to either stay in her room or help Chase and Molly come up with the perfect proposal plan, though Nico herself did not contribute much. Surprisingly, Old Lace, more often than not, would come into her room to keep her company. As a result of the maine coon’s insistence, Nico agreed to take her out on walks, sometimes Gert would join her, joking how Nico was trying to take her cat and subtly interrogating Nico about what she was doing with Chase and Molly, which Nico deflected with a shrug. It wasn’t like Nico wasn't having fun, it was more of Nico not enjoying the inevitable meeting she will have with her parents, which came much too soon for her tastes.

On the third day of their vacation, Amy had informed them that their parents were flying in that afternoon and that they were to meet them, Nico was not pleased and attempted to back out, only for Amy to order Chase and Gert to manhandle her into getting dressed and into the car, Molly and Old Lace following behind to her room, smiling at the scowling Nico.

“Jesus Christ, why did you only pack dark clothes? You did know we were going to a warm place right? Were you planning on sweating like a pig?”

Shrugging her shoulders at Gert, Nico sat cross legged on her king-sized bed, Old Lace and Molly flopping down beside her while Chase sat outside on the balcony. Gert eventually pulled out a dark blue t-shirt and green cargo pants, tossing it towards Nico. Grumbling but still complying with her wishes. She was in the process of taking her pants off when she heard Gert speak.

“I heard about your parents.”

Pausing, Nico considered denying, but then again, everyone in the room probably already knew about it, so there was no point in lying.

“What about it?”

“Is that why you don’t want to see your parents?”

Trust Gert to go straight to the point, she supposes. Putting on the cargo pants, Nico turned to Gert, allowing Molly to comb through her hair, “partially, yes.” Out of the corner of her eye, Nico could see Chase paying close attention to the conversation with focusing on Alex and Amy chatting by the van outside. It was a sensitive topic that concerned both their families after all.

Gert shrugged, “you could always punch your dad when he lands. Here, I’ll even help, always wanted to punch a multimillionaire that wastes their money on buying expensive, material things rather than helping to save a dying planet.” Molly’s eyes lit up, but pouted when Gert shot down her idea before she could save anything.

Nico knew that Gert was trying to make her and Chase feel a little better and she did honestly appreciate it. Patting Old Lace’s head, she turned to Gert, “let’s just get this over with.”

“Please, I can’t wait for this to be over too. I bet my dad made more of his homemade cheese to give us.”

“You like his cheese though.”

“Don’t like the smell.”

The car ride to the heliport was rough, courtesy of Chase’s more reckless driving, but they managed to arrive at the heliport alive and intact. Despite Amy’s pleading, Nico opted to stand at the back, hidden by Chase’s tall frame, who looked equally uncomfortable to see his parents, spotting the helicopter before feeling the gust of wind from its blades. The young woman couldn’t help but stiffen up as the helicopter landed and the door was opened by Geoffrey Wilder. One by one, the leaders of Pride stepped out (Nico resisted the urge to laugh when Dale and Stacey stepped out in shorts and hawallian shirts, a sharp contrast to the business casual outfits of the other parents) and were greeted by their children. 

Molly gave her adoptive father a crushing bear hug while Stacey fussed over Gert’s newly dyed green hair (she, with the help of Chase, dyed it the night before), causing the green haired woman to roll her eyes affectionately before hugging her mother. Alex seemed to be engaged in an intimate discussion with his parents, though he did look happy to see them (Nico saw Catherine pass a bag, most likely filled with Alex’s favorite foods, to her son). Off to the side, Tina and Amy were quietly speaking, most likely about business if the frown on Amy’s face was an indication, Tina not at all noticing Nico. which was just fine.

Robert, however, did notice.

Stepping away from the helicopter, her father took a step forward, only to be stopped by Chase, who glared at the man. The atmosphere suddenly grew more tense as Janet waved awkwardly from behind Robert, the patriarch of the Minoru family doing the same. Nico scowled, shoving her hands into her pockets and turned her back to them. Deep down, she wanted to be happy to see her parents, but right now, the sight of Tina and Robert sickens her. Chase put a comforting hand on Nico’s shoulder, understanding her plight, which did relax her somewhat. They didn’t notice that Victor had come closer to the pair as they turned away from their parents.

“Chase. It’s… so good to see you son.”

_ Oh, son of a bitch, I forgot about him. _ Spinning around, Nico moved fast enough to stop Chase from turning around and socking his father in the face, tightly gripping the man’s clenched fist. While he was not bitter about the affair, Chase had not forgotten the abuse he suffered by his father’s hands, rehab or not. Her sharp brown eyes locked onto Victor’s as she sneered, silently commanding him step back. Dale and Stacey, being the closest to the group, watched in concern as the two families had their awkward encounters with their children, debating on whether or not to step in. Gert and Molly quietly stepped closer to see if Nico needed help, but Nico shook her head, carefully watching Chase. The man pushed passed his father, bumping shoulders in the process, and made a beeline for Gert, whose arms were already open to receive her boyfriend. Nico watched Victor and Janet very carefully, slowly blocking their view, as Chase tried to compose himself. She knew this was a bad idea, she just had a feeling about it.

Unfortunately it was about to get much worse.

“Nico, how nice to see that you actually showed up.”

Tina’s steel-cutting voice filled the tense silence, her tone of mild impressment not lost to her daughter. Gritting her teeth, the younger Minoru daughter bit back an insult as Tina came up to stand with a crestfallen Victor, arms crossed and heels clacking on the steel floor of the helipad. Glaring down at the floor, Nico refused to look at her mother even as Tina cleared her throat, a silent command to her daughter. Before Tina could say anything more, Dale quickly cut in, concerned that a fight would break out any minute, “Okay! I think we’ve stood here long enough! How about we go to the villa, yeah?” Nico had never been more thankful of Dale until that moment when Tina sighed and walked down the steps to the van, the others following her.

“We should have dinner together. The Deans are flying in later, it would be a great opportunity to catch up with our children as well.” This was Tina’s subtle way of saying, “ _ we’re talking Nico whether you like it or not _ ”. Rather sly if you say so, but it only made Nico resent her mother more, as it puts her in an impossible situation. If she agreed, then she’s basically surrendering to her mother. But if she says no, it would be rude and insulting to the other parents. Her anger boiled as Geoffrey and Catherine agreed without hesitation to the plan, Victor agreeing just as fast, forcing Dale, Stacey, Robert and Janet to reluctantly agree. The Yorkes shot her and Chase an apologetic look as they got into the second van with the other parents, but the two couldn’t find it within themselves to hate them.

But Nico couldn’t get the smug look on Tina’s face off her mind as they drove off.


	4. Chapter 4

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm so sorry this chapter is a little bit late, don't know how it slipped my mind, but here it is. Let's just say that the ship is unfurling its flags to start sailing, if you know what I mean.

What was dinner turned out to be more like a social gathering and both Chase and Nico couldn’t be more grateful to the Dean family’s need to make a statement. When they arrived and found out about the dinner, they quickly threw together something extra. Wine (juice for Molly of course), exotic food, decor, everything. That gave Chase the perfect opening to spend time with the Yorkes instead, arms wrapped around Gert, as if letting go would send him to his death. Nico, dressed in a black t-shirt and pants and brown sandals, stood at the corner, nursing a glass of wine. She was watching for her parents, both thankful and disgusted that Tina seemed to nowhere to be found (she later found out that Tina was in her room, taking a business call). Victor and Janet seemed to be doing an awkward dance of some sort across the room, making Nico snort into her glass. She was glad that, at least for now, they were not disturbing Chase.

“Nico.”

Surprised by the voice, Nico jumped, almost spilling her wine. She didn’t need to turn around to know it was her father. The man fumbled around with his glasses, unable to come up with anything to say. He settled with, “I heard from Amy that you’re a really good bartender.” Not a very good line to start a conversation, but it’ll do, considering their relationship at this point.

Snorting, Nico took a sip from her wine, taking delight at how her father squirmed at her lack of response. Trying again, Robert cracked a smile, “I’m glad to hear you’re doing well, Nico. I really am.”

Nico couldn’t bite back her response any longer, snarling with anger, “funny you give a damn now. You didn’t give a damn when I graduated. You didn’t give a damn when  _ mom _ ,” Nico spat the word out with thinly veiled hate, “decided that me finding my own job instead of being her assistant was the worst thing her child could do. You didn’t give a damn before, why give a damn now?” She didn’t mean to say those words out loud, but it was clear that the other guests overheard the argument, the tense air permeating the room.

Robert just stood there, eyes wide at his younger daughter’s outburst, making her snort. He should’ve known better, no, he just should’ve known that she’d react like this. Not waiting to hear her father’s reply, Nico pushed passed him and poured herself another glass of wine. Chase came up from behind to put a comforting hand on her shoulder, which she shrugged off, not noticing the hurt look on his face. Robert tried to say something, anything, but it was all white noise to Nico.

“Nico, please. Whatever happened in the past, I’m sorry. I can’t speak for your mother, but I am truly sorry. I’m trying the best I can to make this work. Please, just give me a chance.”

Nico didn’t know if it was her anger or the wine, but it didn’t really matter which one possessed her to whip around and tossed the entire bottle at Robert. It missed by a few inches, flying past his head and smashing against the white wall, leaving a dark red stain. The other guests gasped in shock at the violent act, taking a step back (Chase and Amy were quick to step towards Nico to try and calm her down to no avail). Breathing heavily, Nico glared at Robert, “after all these years of being a  _ spineless  _ father, all these years begging for scraps of attention, all these years of hiding your affair,” Janet flinched at that, wrapping her thin arms around herself, “did you honestly think that a sorry was going to magically fix this. It’s not. Face it: our family is broken and there’s no fixing it. Your words mean nothing to and I’ve long stopped giving a damn about what you or mother dearest thinks anymore. You’re years too late in making amends.”

“Nico…”

“ _ Don’t! _ ” 

Her anger had reached a boiling point and she wasn't too sure anymore that she can control her anger any longer. Taking in a deep breath to calm herself, Nico turned and stomped out of the villa, ignoring the cries from the parents and her friends. She didn’t know where she was going, only that she needed to go. Tears threatened to run down her face, which Nico rubbed away. She felt her cell phone vibrate, but ignored it, eventually turning it off entirely. Seeing her father trying to apologize reminded her of all the times her parents did that in the past and all the time she was brushed off in favor of Amy or work. It made her wonder how many of those apologies were genuine.

_ “I’m sorry Nico, but we have an important meeting to go to that day.” _

_ “Nico, I know I promised to spend the day with you, but I’m needed at the office.” _

_ “Amy has an important state match that day, Nico. You understand how important it is for her.” _

_ “Amy is having an important presentation in front of thousands of her future colleagues. We have to be there to show support.” _

_ “Nico, don’t be childish. This launch requires my full attention.” _

_ “Congratulations on your graduation, Nico. It is unfortunate your father and I could not be there. The company is in the middle of a technological breakthrough.” _

The alcohol still running in her system and the adrenaline from her outburst caused her vision to blur as she stumbled along the sand. Nico hated to admit that she was a lightweight, bartender’s pride or something like that.  _ Damn, Earl would not be a happy boss if he saw me now _ , Nico mused. She wasn’t paying attention to what was in front of her and ended up bumping into a warm body, knocking the tipsy woman onto the sandy ground.

“Woah there, you alright?”

A peachy colored hand entered Nico’s view as she looked up. A tall blonde hair woman around Nico’s age wearing a yellow tank top and denim shorts stared down at her with a concerned and curious look in her blue eyes. Nico didn’t know if her eyes were playing tricks on her, but she swore the woman was glowing (or maybe it was her skincare routine). Nico couldn’t help but just stare at the pretty woman (so she thought the stranger was pretty, sue her). When Nico didn’t reply, the pretty blonde frowned, crouching down to her level. She leaned in closer, asking, “Are you hurt anywhere?”

Luckily, Nico had sobered up quite a bit at that point and shook her head, “I’m fine. I should’ve looked where I was going. Sorry.” Taking a closer look at the woman in front of her, Nico could’ve sworn she’s seen her before (she also noticed how blue the woman’s eyes were).

The woman relaxed, happy that Nico was unharmed, and stood up, holding her hand out to help Nico up. Once the dark haired woman was on her feet, she sighed, “today is just not my day.” Kicking the sand, she made her way to the logs set out earlier in the afternoon in preparation for a bonfire that never happened and took a seat on one of the logs that face the ocean, surprised to see that her companion decided to follow her and do the same, sitting down next to her.

“Do you want to talk about it?”

Nico wasn’t too sure what made her more talkative tonight, but she didn’t hesitate in answering the stranger’s question, “got into an argument with my father. Bastard thinks that saying ‘sorry’ was going to fix anything. He was wrong. The relationship was long broken. If he wanted me to forgive him, he should’ve tried years ago. But now,” Nico scowled, frowning at the half-finished bonfire, “it’s too late to fix everything.”

“But you still forgive him, deep down.”

“No, I don’t. I resented him, still do.”

_ “Nico, I’m really sorry you had to find out this way. I never meant for you or Amy to be caught in this.” _

“Hate is easier to feel, yes, but forgiving him is the first step in learning to love him again. He’s your family.”

“Ha! Family!” Nico laughed, a cruel and bitter sound, “if family means ignoring one child in favor of another, if it means that the parent is free to cheat, then family is worthless. Love my family? Why bother loving something that’s taught me nothing but hate and pain?” 

The blonde woman smiled at her like a mother trying to explain a foreign concept to a child, “you only get one lifetime with them. If you hate them forever, you may come to regret it. Chase told me you didn’t believe in love, but I don’t believe it.”

“I think you’re just afraid of being hurt and that’s okay.” The woman suddenly stood up, grabbing Nico’s hands and pulling her up, “love is supposed to hurt, but at the end, love will bring you happiness and life! You just need to trust that! Love doesn’t need explanation, it just happens.”

When the blonde woman saw the look of skepticism on Nico’s face, she huffed, blue eyes shining with determination, “two weeks.”

“What?”

“Two weeks. I bet I can change your view on love in two week.”

“And if don’t?”

“You don’t ever have to forgive your parents. From what I’m hearing, you and your parents don’t have a great relationship. I’m going to fix that. But if I’m right, then you have to at least try to forgive them. These are my terms.”

Nico didn’t know if it was the alcohol still running in her system or if it was the pretty blonde’s need to prove her wrong, but whatever it was, it made her roar with laughter, genuinely amused at the proposal the blonde is putting forth. Wiping the tears from her eyes, Nico smirked up at the woman, holding her hand out for a handshake, “you have your work cut out for you then. Want to tell me who you are?”

The blonde smiled, gripping Nico’s hand in a firm handshake, “Karolina Dean.”

“It’s been a while, Nico.”


	5. Chapter 5

“It’s been a while, Nico.”

_ Karolina Dean, huh? _

Nico wasn’t too surprised that it was Karolina Dean, to be honest. The optimistic outlook on life and sunny disposition practically gave it away. Despite the lack of interaction between the two Pride children, they were in the same friend group and Nico has heard about Karolina Dean (so she supposes they were to be considered acquaintances).

Well, the poster child anyway.

She’s heard about her involvement with the Church of Gibborim and the high profile appearances at many Pride sponsored event. She’s also heard about the bold choice to defy her mother and enroll in medical school to be a nurse, despite her mother’s protest. To say Nico was impressed would be a lie, her pessimistic thinking refusing to think that Karolina was anything but the poster child.

“Karolina Dean. I should’ve known.” Those words weren’t as harsh as Nico would’ve liked it to sound, but luckily, Karolina didn’t pick up the biter tone, only smiling warmly and taking her hand, walking in the direction of the villa, where Nico could make out several large shadows running towards them, Chase and Amy being at the forefront.

“Karolina! Oh thank god you found her!” Amy was close to sobbing when she ran up and hugged Nico tight, Chase and Alex checking for any injuries, relieved to find none. Alex stepped to the side to make a phone call, most likely telling the parents that they had found Nico. Sniffling, Amy glared at her younger sister, “don’t ever do that again! Do you have any idea how worried we were? You can’t go running off like that, especially after drinking! What if you got lost? What if you fell into the water? Anything could’ve happened!”

Nico felt guilty for causing her sister and everyone else distress and patted her shoulder, “I was fine. Karolina… found me on time.” Her hesitation didn’t go unnoticed by the said blonde, who nodded at the plea to keep quiet about their conversation. Turning to Karolina, Amy wrapped her arms around her in a tight hug, thanking her. Gert took her chance to scold Nico as well while Chase helped keep Nico from face planting onto the sand, holding up a water bottle for her to sip.

Not a moment later, a tall blonde haired man ran up to them, Dale and Stacey not far behind. Frank Dean wiped the sweat off his face, smiling, “Alex told us Karolina found Nico. Good job.” Nico couldn’t help but bristle with jealousy watching Karolina shine at the praise. She tried to scowl at Frank, but bile rose up to her throat, prompting Dale to quickly a bucket under Nico in case she puked (she was lucky she didn’t). Stacey had Chase guide Nico to the van as she made sure that the young woman was alright. After making sure that she was alright, Stacey passed a bag over to Amy containing some hangover remedies and the suggestion of a good night’s rest for everyone else. It was clear that the events of the night rattled everyone, but they were too tired to deal with it at the moment. Frank jumped into the driver seat, volunteering to drive the group to their villa, Karolina sitting shotgun while everyone else squeezed into the back, making sure that Nico wouldn’t suddenly puke. Resting her head on Chase’s shoulder, Nico tried to keep her eyes open, but with Old Lace’s purring and the gentle hum of the van, she was lulled into a quick nap.

Feeling someone putting her onto the soft duvet of her bed, Nico opened her eyes just a fraction to see Karolina and Amy quietly talking by her door for a few seconds before Amy left. Doing her best to sit up, Nico could only flop over and turn to the other side, alerting Karolina to turn around and help Nico get comfortable.

“Sleep it off. You’ll feel a lot worse tomorrow if you don’t.”

“‘M fine.”

“That’s what a lot of people say. Trust me, you’ll need the rest.”

“... must be nice, having a good relationship with your parents.”

Not bothered by the sudden change in topic, Karolina shrugged, “it’s complicated.” She didn’t elaborate on that statement, absentmindedly stroking Nico’s hair. The soft caresses were making it hard for Nico to keep her eyes open. Blinking up at Karolina, Nico couldn’t help but preen at the attention, listening to the blonde’s soft humming. She remembered a moment like this many years ago, as a little kid, a woman humming a tune to her as she slept, though she couldn’t remember the woman’s face or the tune. It reminded her of being a child again, curled up next to Amy everytime there was a thunderstorm. Even the memories of having sleepovers at the Yorkes household came to mind, the girls huddled up watching the stars and listening to the boys loudly playing their games down the hall.

Nuzzling into the pillow, Nico sighed, letting the exhaustion of the day overcome her, “you really think you can change my mind, Dean?”

“think? Oh, Nico, I know so.”

“Then I’ll hold you to that.”

By the time the morning sun had shone through the curtains of Nico’s room, she was already up, head pressed down onto the cool marble kitchen counter, still in her pajamas and hair defying gravity, sticking up in every direction. Gert hummed as she flipped pancake after pancake, Chase and Molly helping by squeezing some fresh orange juice with the oranges Dale and Stacey brought over. Groaning about her pounding headache, Nico reached over for her massive mug of coffee, dropping in a straw to sip. Old Lace meowed, hopping down from the counter to greet the other guests who had stepped into the kitchen. Amy smiled at her sister’s antics, producing a hairbrush to try and tame the Nico’s wild hair while Alex helped set the table. Nico blinked, noticing that one person was missing.

“Where’s Dean?”

Chase paused at his task, looking out to the beach, “I think she went out for a morning run. She should be back soon.” Smiling mischievously, Chase winked, “you worried?”

“Worried? Stein, you must be even more hungover than me.”

“Don’t diss me, I’m not a lightweight like you. What would you boss think, hearing that his best employee getting drunk after two glasses?”

“I don’t drink on the job, you dick.”

Gert clapped her hands, stopping the pair’s banter, “children, if you both have nothing better to do, you can help me serve breakfast. I may be cooking, but I’m not serving you like I’m some housewife.”

Grumbling about having to work while still hungover, Nico trudged over to take a stack of pancakes and some fruit along with everyone else, hair pulled back into a loose ponytail. Digging into her pancakes, she didn’t hear the sliding doors leading out to the beach opening, Karolina, positively glowing from her morning run, stepping into the kitchen, smiling at the sight of Nico slouched over.

“Good morning!”

Wincing at how loud Karolina was, Nico, fork in her mouth, turned to glare at the blonde, who smiled back it her.

“How can you be so hyper in the morning?”

Crossing the way over to Nico, Karolina leaned over to pour herself a glass of juice, “some of us aren’t hungover. How are you feeling right now, by the way?”

“Hungover.”

“Besides that, Nico.” Karolin chuckled, passing over the syrup Nico had been eyeing, who mumbled a thanks. Behind them, Amy stared at them curiously, resting her chin on the palm of her hands. Something had been tickling her sixth sense since last night, and now looking at pair, a secretive smile made it way onto Amy’s face. Now if she could get the others on board…

The rest of the morning went by with nothing out of the ordinary happening and interactions between Nico and Karolina toned down to the bare minimum.

The afternoon was a different story.

Chase had the bright idea of proposing to Gert by hiding the ring in a seashell and just ‘stumbling’ upon it. Nico had warned Chase that it was going to be a bad idea, but the man wouldn’t listen. Nico can almost imagine the panicked look on the blond’s face when he realizes that he forgot with seashell he put the ring in.

Sitting in the shade with her sunglasses on, Nico looked out onto the beach, watching Chase and Gert taking their time strolling down the sands. Out of the corner of her eyes, she can see Molly trying to convince Amy that her wanting to ride the jet ski won’t be a problem (Nico was certain that Molly won that one, judging by the victorious smirk on the dancer’s face).

“Not going to join them?”

Turning her head to the source of the voice, Nico looked at Karolina (she noted that the blonde had changed into a white crop top and denim shorts and a rose-tinted sunglasses perched on her head) and shrugged her shoulders, “I don’t care to do the things Molly would.” Indeed, Molly had somehow convinced Alex and Amy to join her, which prompted Gert to follow, if it’ll keep Molly from getting reckless, much to Chase’s disappointment. Sitting down next to Nico, Karolina smiled, “You didn’t strike me as someone who would.”

“If you already knew, why bother asking?”

Nico didn’t mean to come off as rude, she’s just not one to waste her time on meaningless conversations. The blonde put her hands up in mock surrender, “not one for conversation, huh? I guess that means we can get to the point.”

The point being the conversation from last night, the point being Karolina sticking her head into business that isn’t her own, the point being that Nico, in her tipsy state, actually agreeing to the challenge. As much as she wants to pass it off as drunk talk, the dark haired woman knew that Karolina knew Nico remembered the conversation and Karolina was just a stubborn, if not more stubborn than the Minoru. The blonde took a sip of her drink, observing Nico’s sour face, “don’t be like that, besides this is a great opportunity for the two of us to bond. We didn’t speak much as kids.”

“Because you were busy playing mommy’s precious princess.”

Ignoring the jab, Karolina rested her head on her knees, watching Chase shuffling around in the sand, looking for the seashell that he hid the ring in and then at Alex and Amy, who were helping Molly ready the jet ski, Gert following right behind them. She then turned to Nico, “was your breakup with Alex the reason?” The blonde’s eyes were inquisitive but not judgemental, something that somehow relaxed and unnerved Nico at the same time. Looking out to where Karolina was looking, the dark-haired woman subconsciously tightened her grip on her biceps, silently thankful for the fact that her sunglasses hid the dark glint in her eyes. Nico didn’t answer the blonde as she had a sinking suspicion that Karolina already knew the answer. Her question also brought up some unwanted memories that Nico had desperately wanted to hide away.

_ “Nico, please, I didn’t mean to hurt you.” _

_ “Bullshit, Wilder, you knew what you were doing. Couldn’t get who you wanted so you settled for second-best?” _

_ “That is enough disrespect, Nico! We will not have this when a guest is here!” _

_ “Of course you want me to bite my tongue! If Amy said any of this, would’ve agreed in a heartbeat!” _

_ “Enough!” _

Tina came close to slapping her that night, but she didn’t. Instead, Nico was sent upstairs and basically locked in her room for the night until she had calmed down (she didn’t, she actually snuck out and got a tattoo that night. She’s sure Wizey told her mother she snuck out, but they never spoke about it — actually, they really didn’t speak much after that). The tattoo on her bicep tingled, as if it was reminding her of that night that Nico had ultimately decided that if her parents weren’t going to care about her, she wouldn’t care about them either. Karolina observed her, taking in the change of mood. She didn’t need Nico to tell her to know what the answer was.

Leaning closer, Karolina placed a hand on Nico’s shoulder, making the woman turn around to look at the blonde through the dark lenses of her sunglasses, “you can cry, there’s no shame in crying about a painful memory.”

Nico didn’t even realize she was crying until she touched her cheek, surprised by the wetness. Hastily, she wiped away her tears, face flushed with embarrassment when more tears ran down her face.  _ Good going, Minoru, you cried like a baby in front of a girl. Can this day get any better?  _ At least Karolina didn’t judge her for it, instead sitting next to her, blue eyes shining sympathetically while she rubbed her back, waiting for Nico to calm down. Letting out a shaky breath and feeling herself calm down, Nico suddenly stiffened up, brushing the hand on her back away. Karolina fortunately didn’t comment on the sudden change, maintaining her distance. No words passed between them as they watched the chaos in front of them (Molly and Alex were in an intense race, bumping their jet skis in an attempt to sabotage each other while Gert and Amy watched, their own skis lagging behind), but the silence was not uncomfortable, rather it was welcomed.

Eventually, Nico broke the silence, “not going to ask any more questions, Dean?” She didn’t want to sound rude, but she was genuinely curious by the lack of questions following the emotional outburst. The blonde’s mouth curved into a small tentative smile, a hand reaching to tuck a loose lock of hair behind her ear, “I don’t think you would answer any more of my questions, to be honest.”

“...you’re right, I wouldn’t have. But…” 

The pair jumped in shock when they heard Chase’s voice, shouting from across the beach, “Hey! How long are you going to sit there? We’re going inside, it’s Amy’s turn to cook!” Looking up at the sky, Nico was surprised to see the blue had turned into shades of red and orange, the sun going down in the distance. Turning to look at Karolina, it seemed she too was surprised.

When Chase shouted again, Karolina shouted back, “go ahead of us!” Watching the rest of the group make their way back to the villa (not before Amy shouting at them to be back in 10 minutes or else she’s sending out a search party, which usually means Old Lace and Gert), Karolina stood up, stretching her limbs, Nico watching her but not moving.

When a peachy hand entered her view, Nico raised an eyebrow at the blonde, who smiled back softly, “come on, let’s head back. We’ve had enough emotions for today.” The dark-haired woman hesitated on taking the hand offered, scowled at the blonde, though the scowl held none of the sourness from the afternoon (she has a resting bitch face, sue her). Karolina’s eyes twinkled with mirth, waiting for Nico to let her walls down, practically beaming with pride when the Asian sighed and gripped the blondes's hand, letting Karolina pull her along as they made the trek back to the house, hands intertwined within each other's.

Nico considered pulling her hand away, but watching Karolina’s face and eyes (and how warm the blonde’s hand was against her own), she pocketed the other hand, content with the physical contact.

Nico was sure that when the gang sees them holding hands, they will coo and make fun of her. Nico was sure that she’ll scowl and deny everything (Nico’s also sure that, no matter how in control she is, she won’t be able to stop her herself from blushing). Nico’s sure that Karolina will blush and smile that smile of hers, a little curve of the corner of her mouth, and then laugh, mouth open and showing her (perfect) white teeth. Nico was sure that everyone will not forget this day as the day Nico Minoru willingly held hands with someone.

Nico’s sure she’ll regret letting Karolina hold her hand, but watching Karolina’s blue eyes, deep down, Nico didn’t mind. 

She didn’t mind at all.

(A few years down the line, Nico thinks to herself that this was the day she started to fall in love with Karolina.)


	6. Chapter 6

Nico was sure she had seen the extent of Chase’s stupidity, but this just top everything he’s ever done.

Hell, even her sister said it was a stupid idea and when Amy thinks it’s a stupid idea, then it really is a stupid idea.

“Chase, she’d sooner have a heart attack than say ‘yes’. I know you think it’s a great idea, but honestly, the risk isn’t worth it.”

“I agree, plus, what if she decides to say no after that stunt you pull?”

Chase’s pouted, blue eyes staring at them like they had just killed a puppy, “she will?”

Amy sighed, “no, but it’s a possibility, Chase. This is dangerous, isn’t there a better way to propose to her?”

“But, Molly said this was a great idea.” Chase frowned, pout now directed at the youngest of the group, who shrugged her shoulders, “it was a good idea at the time.”

Alex raised an eyebrow, “what, putting Chase in danger?”

“No! I meant the thrill, the excitement, and cuz the plan was good when I first thought about it!”

“Well, come up with something else, I’m not going to be responsible for any injuries on this trip!”

With Amy putting her foot down on the plan, Chase and Molly grumbled before walking back to the drawing board, crossing out ‘jumping off a cliff into an inflatable’, along with some other ideas that Amy said no to.

Admittedly, some of them were equally stupid: carving into a tree, using the ring box as a football and tossing it at Gert, sticking the ring in her burger, etcetra.

Again, Nico thought she had seen the limit of his stupidity, but she was wrong. Stepping away from the group, Nico decided to take a little walk, Old Lace meowing at her and walking alongside her. Telling Amy she was going to see how close Gert was to the villa, Nico put on her sandals and stepped outside, wincing at the brightness and heat.

Pulling her short hair back into a loose tail, Nico began walking in the direction that Gert and Karolina had gone down a few minutes ago, Gert’s giant maine coon following close behind. Looking down at the cat, Nico’s mind drifted to when Gert first got the cat. Everyone thought it was a somali cat in the beginning, but the Yorkes household had quickly realized it was a larger cat when Old Lace wouldn’t stop growing. Nico remembered their childhood days of chasing the enormous cat around the backyard and roughhousing with the dog-like cat. Even now, the black and brown maine coon still enjoys a little tug-of-war with Gert and Molly. She still remembers Molly joyfully proclaiming that the Yorkeses had brought home a panther.

_ “Come on, Gert! It’s the only explanation!” _

_ “Molly, I love you, but even you have to admit that that’s a stupid idea. Mom and dad didn’t smuggle home a panther cub from the zoo.” _

_ “What if I’m right though?” _

_ “Then I’ll eat my shoes.” _

Old Lace meowed, bringing Nico back to reality. Taking a glance around, she spots Karolina and Gert sitting in the shade the trees provided. Stopping short of reaching them, Nico could hear part of their conversation, though she couldn’t hear exactly what they were talking about. Not all too interested in their conversations, Nico leaned against the trunk of the trees, waiting for them to finish whatever it was they were talking about, taking the time to catch up on her emails and with work while also ignoring the texts and missed phone calls from her parents. Hearing the rustling in the background and Old Lace running towards a surprised Gert, Nico put her phone back in her pockets and made her presence known, nodding at Gert and Karolina.

Gert narrowed her eyes suspiciously, crossing her arms, “what did Chase and Molly get into this time?”

“How did you possibly know?”

“Just do.”

Nico debated lying, but she opted to tell Gert the truth, “Chase and Molly thought jumping off a cliff onto an inflatable was a fun idea.” She omitted the proposal part, as obviously Gert didn’t need to know that. Nico watched in amusement as Gert huffed, half irritated and half bemused, and whistled for Old Lace to follow her back to the villa, muttering about giving Molly a time out, leaving Nico and Karolina under the shade. Nico could feel Karolina’s eyes on her, studying her, watching her every move, and she chose to ignore it.

Nico wasn’t too surprised when the blonde hands her a glass of juice and motioned for her to sit. She didn’t offer any resistance when Karolina tugged at her wrist, bringing her down to the seat. The pair sat in silence, sipping at the drinks, when Karolina cleared her throat.

“What do you think about Gert and Chase getting married? Be honest.”

Setting the glass down, Nico looked up and saw how serious Karolina was, which was a surprise considering that Nico hadn’t seen the blonde so serious like this before. Looking past Karolina, Nico thought about her answer before replying, “I’m not sure, to be honest. When they first got together, I didn’t expect them to last a month, let alone through high school and college,” Nico huffed, “I was surprised when Chase said he wanted to marry Gert. But I guess they managed to make it work and are still disgustingly cute as a couple. I lost a lot of money in the betting pool because they actually stayed together for a whole year without any problems. Did you know Molly bought herself almost two years’ worth of hats with the money from the betting pool?” Nico avoided admitting that, in some twisted way, Nico had been wrong about about the pair, though Karolina, whose lips curled up into a small smile, did not miss the silent admittance to defeat. But as soon as the smile appeared, it disappeared just as fast.

“And what do think about your parents?”

Ah, so that’s what the girl wanted to talk about. Rolling her eyes, Nico couldn’t help but scowl, “they’re better off divorced. It may not seem like it, but they fight so much at home, or rather used to since they’re not even talking to each other now. God, they used to fight about everything, from the company to how Amy and I should be raised, it was exhausting being in the same room as them after they have a huge argument about one thing or another. I guess they were smart enough to not do it in front of us.”

“But that didn’t stop you from finding out.”

“No it didn’t.”

Nico still remembers it like yesterday, her trying to sneak into the kitchen to get a glass of milk when she heard her parents arguing downstairs. Curious as to what her mother and father were talking about, she hid herself in the corner of the stairway. The seven-year old didn’t know any better at the time, but her parents were at the beginning of their deteriorating marriage.

_ “I hope you have a good reason for showing up so late?” _

_ “I told you Tina, the company needed me. I thought you would appreciate that I’m trying to keep our company at the forefront of technology.” _

_ “Yes, but I also expected you to be able to come up with a better excuse. I can practically smell the alcohol on you and for some so technologically capable, I fully expected you to know that I can track your location. Honestly, did you not think I wouldn’t find out about you leaving town and fooling around like a lunatic? Be thankful that your picture will not end up on tomorrow’s tabloids. God forbid our daughters seen their father on the covers of those things.” _

_ “Tina please. The employees invited me out, it was a great bonding experience and this is the only time it’ll happen. I’d like for just once to not have to replace the R&D team every two weeks because you scared them off.” _

_ “You forget who the CEO is, Robert. We may have founded this company together, but I hold the majority. I am the one that makes this company great. I am the one that made this reality happen. If my own employees are not up to my standards, then they have no place in the empire I built.” _

_ “...” _

_ “I put the children to bed already, no thanks to you. You should be upset to hear that Nico begged me to get you to tuck her in. You can explain why you will no longer be doing that in the morning. Sleep in the guest bedroom tonight and explain to the girls what it was you were doing while they waited for you to come home.” _

_ “Tina, I can’t even see them?” _

_ “You’ll see them in the morning, but I refuse to let you see them tonight, good night, Robert.” _

_ “Tina please!” _

Seven year old Nico didn’t know what they were talking about, but she had never heard her mother speak in such a cold manner before and it terrified the little girl. She remembers running up to Amy’s room and snuggling close to her sister, who was confused but nevertheless wrapped her arms around the trembling girl's body. Of course, Nico became the receiving end of her mother’s wrath when she discovered Nico was not in her own bed. She was lucky that she was let off with a warning ( _ “Do not cry, Nico. Crying solves nothing. You are better than that, keep your head held high and with pride.” _ ). That was the first time Tina had gotten mad at her child and Nico marked that day as the day everything changed in the Minoru household.

“Nico?”

Blinking, Nico realized that she had zoned out, replaying that memory in her head. Feeling Karolina’s warm hand on her arms, Nico blinked again and brushed her hand away.

“I’m fine.”

Karolina frowned, not at all convinced, “Nico…”

“I’m fine!”

She didn’t want anyone’s pity, she didn’t want people to look at her like that. So why?

Why does Karolina keep pushing?

And why does Nico let her?


	7. Chapter 7

The walk back to the villa was tense and awkward. Nico walked a few feet away from Karolina and neither spoke a word to each other. When they stepped back inside, no one asked about the distance between them or how fake Karolina’s smile seemed to be. Nico saw the look of concern on her sister’s face, but turned away. She’d rather not have to deal with that today.

Waking to the kitchen, Nico pulled out a bottle of water and mumbled out that she wouldn’t be eating dinner. She wanted to be left alone for the night. No distractions, no pity, no Karolina. She’s even tempted to book an early flight home, but decided against it, for Chase and Gert’s sake.

Settling down on the soft duvet, Nico sighed, running a hand over her hair. She was tired and emotionally drained and desperately wanted this vacation to be over. Nico didn’t move an inch when Amy knocked on the door.

“Nico?”

Amy stood outside for a moment, waiting to hear any sound of movement. Hearing none, the older Minoru sighed, pinching the bridge of her nose, raising her hand to knock on the door once more before a hand stopped her. Turning around, Amy looked at Chase, partly confused and partly irritated. Pulling her aside, Chase looked at Amy, blue eyes shining with sympathy, “leave her. She’s probably going through a lot and judging by the look on Karolina’s face, they were probably talking about something a little too close to home. Let her cool off, i’ll go speak to her after dinner.”

Amy’s sisterly instincts told her that she should be the one to check up on Nico, but the more rational part told her that Chase may be the person that Nico needs to see. The older of the Minoru suspects that her presence would only serve to make the situation worse and, to be honest, Amy’s not exactly sure how she’s supposed to feel about that.

She hasn’t made up her mind about it in over ten years.

Padding over to Nico’s room, Amy knocked once and told her if her sister’s hungry, she’s more than welcome to join them, otherwise Amy will save a plate for her. Hearing more silence, Amy sighed and walked to the dining room with Chase. Nico heard them walking away and turned over to the other side, facing the windows. If she was going to have to talk, she might as well be ready for it. Closing her eyes, Nico was lulled into a deep sleep, where she dreamt of her mother’s disapproving stare and Karolina’s mysterious but innocent smile.

Jolted awake by a knock on the door, Nico groaned, rubbing her eyes. When she checked her phone, Nico was pleasantly surprised at how late it was. When the person outside her room knocked against, Nico called for them to come in, glancing at Chase for a moment as he came in with a plate of fruits.

Setting the plate down, the brunette sat down on the other side of the bed, nodding at Nico. he didn’t say anything as he watched Nico take a slice of apple and took a nibble of it.

“Did she talk about your mother?”

“Yeah.”

Nodding, Chase didn’t say anymore beyond that, not that he needed anymore. After all, that was exactly how he and Nico became best friends: through their similar experiences with their parents.

_“Your dad do that to you?”_

_Those were the first words a ten year old Chase heard from the younger of the Minoru sisters. He had met them earlier today, but Nico, the younger one, had relatively no interest in interacting with any of the other kids, opting to sit away from them or cling to her father or sister, until her mother told her to stop being a coward. The look on the girl’s face when her mother called her a coward reminded Chase too much of himself that he almost walked up to her but instead, he bumped into his father, causing him to spill his wine over his suit. As angry as he looked in public, he was far worse in private._

_Nursing the red handprint on his cheek, Chase had ran into the backyard, hoping nobody saw him, but it seems he was wrong. Nico had heard the commotion and followed Chase._

_“You saw that?”_

_Nico shrugged, “I heard it. Here,” she held an ice pack for the blonde haired boy to take, “I took it from the kitchen.”_

_Taking the ice pack from the girl, Chase mumbled his gratitude and pressed it against his cheek, hissing at the cold sensation. He had expected the girl to leave him after giving him the ice pack, but to his surprise, she sat down on the grass next to him. He was sure that her dress would get dirty, but Nico didn’t seem to care too much._

_“Won’t your dress get dirty?”_

_“It’s an ugly dress anyway.”_

_Oh. Okay. Chase’s not sure how to deal with a girl so blunt but he supposes he’ll need to make it work now. When Chase looked over at the girl, he was shocked to see an equally red bruise on her arm, like someone had gripped it too hard and left their mark there. Chase had a pretty good idea of who did that. The matriarch of the Minoru family was very intimidating after all, dressed all sharp and an absolutely cold look on her face, Chase wouldn’t put it above Mrs. Minoru to punish her children for being less than perfect._

_After all, his own father did the same._

_Looking up at Nico’s brown eyes, Chase could see tears in them that Nico was trying so hard to hold back. Chase rested a hand on her shoulder, as if to comfort her and they sat there on the grass until Amy found them._

That day marked the moment Chase and Nico became friends. They didn’t need to say more than necessary, they just knew when one was being punished. In a way, they found solace in each other over their shared experiences. Some would even say that Chase and Nico were more like siblings than Nico and Amy, but luckily, the younger Minoru loves her older sister too much to do that to her. 

“What did Karolina say to you today?”

Nico shrugged, shoving another slice of apple into her mouth. She didn’t want to talk about it, not even with Chase, who she trusts with all of her secrets.

Chase sighed, running a hand through his unruly hair. As much as he wanted to press the issue, the blonde knew better than to do that. He wondered if what the girls had talked about was really that serious and if he should get involved, as their friend. Looking at Nico’s stormy eyes, Chase figured that maybe Nico just needs a little nudge in the right direction, as Gert would tell him and, let’s be honest, when has Chase not listened to his girlfriend.

“You know, Karolina’s not a bad person. In fact, she’s probably the complete opposite of how you think she is.”

Nico shrugged her shoulders again dismissively. She wasn’t in the mood to make friends with anyone, particularly a certain nosy blonde. But chase was not having it tonight. He may be Nico’s best friend, but he’s also Karolina’s friend too and he wants to see them get along.

(Plus, he’s not blind. He and everyone else sees a great opportunity here.)

“You need to stop being a pity party Nico. Karolina wants to get to know you a little better. I’m saying this not only as your friend but as Karolina’s friend, you may be surprised about how much you guys have in common, but sitting her and avoiding everyone isn’t helping you or Karo. Here, why don’t you ask here something next time? Maybe if you initiate it, it might not be so awkward, yeah.”

Nico stared at Chase, surprised by his passionate plea. She didn’t think Chase would care too much that she wasn’t all too buddy-buddy with Karolina, but then again, they’re also friends, so she really shouldn’t be surprised at all.

“You really want us to be friends, huh?”

Chase took the plate from Nico, stretching his legs as he stood up. His blue eyes glowed as he looked at Nico, “you’ll be surprised. Karolina isn’t as perfect as she or her mother says she is. Trust me, when have I let you down?”

Nico watched as he bid her a good night and closed her door. Flopping down on her soft mattress, Nico sighed, frustrated and confused at what Chase wanted her to do. This wouldn’t be the first time he spoke to her about her snippy attitude but it was certainly the first time he encouraged her to make friends with someone.

Grumbling to herself, Nico decides that maybe she should just follow Chase’s advice.

After all, what’s the harm in getting to know someone?


	8. Chapter 8

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry about not posting last week, school was hectic and I totally forgot! Hopefully this chapter more than makes up for the week!
> 
> Please enjoy!

“I didn’t know you knew how to play the piano.”

Nico didn’t look to the person sitting down next to her as she continued to run her fingers on the keys, letting the notes echo in the spacious room. Karolina brushed her fingers over a few of the keys, joining Nico’s improv symphony, but for the most part she listened and swayed to the music. Nico let the final note ring before finally turning to smirk at the blonde, oddly smug.

“It’s the only thing that’s mine.”

To an extent, it was true. While Amy did excel in the piano, her talents were more in sports and business, whereas Nico flourished in the arts. Their mother had signed them both up for musical lessons as children, but when it was clear that Nico was far better at it, Tine quickly pulled Amy out (though Amy stilled performed until sports became more of a priority to her). But, a young Nico clung on to that achievement and ran with it, even if her parents didn’t feel the same.

_ “Nico! I’m so proud of you! The piece was beautiful!” _

_ “Are mom and dad here?” _

_ “No… I’m sorry. Mom and Dad had a conference today with some of the board members. I sent them the video though, I’m sure they will be happy!” _

At first it hurt, but after the tenth performance for so, Nico eventually gave up on expecting them to show up anymore. Of course, they showed up to a few, but the appearances were never consecutive and Nico knew they only showed up either in the middle of the performance or at the end.

The beginning of a new song brought her back to reality, a light flurry of high notes and a happy tune soon played out in the vast music room. Nico watched in fascination as Karolina played a simple yet elegant song, a sharp contrast to the more dramatic piece that Nico had played earlier. While it was clear that Karolina wasn’t at the same level of mastery as Nico, she was still very skilled in playing the piano and Nico was quite enjoying the choice of music that Karolina chose to play. Nico found herself swaying to the music and even adding in her own twists, which Karolina smiled at.

When the last note sounded, Nico turned to Karolina, impressed, “I didn’t know  _ you  _ played the piano.”

Karolina chuckled, though the smile on her face seemed more forced, “my mom wanted me to play for the Church so she signed me up for lessons as a kid. I did enjoy it but I guess music wasn’t my calling. What about you Nico?”

Nico hummed, pressing some of the random keys before responding to Karolina’s question, “my mother made Amy and I take classes but I was better at it so I learned for far longer.” The blonde nodded, looking down at the black and white keys, oddly quiet. Nico remembered Karolina mentioning that she played for the Church and asked her about it.

Surprisingly, Karolina cringed, as if the memory that was brought up was not a happy one, “I guess she wanted me to show the members of the Church that I was capable of many skills. Not that it mattered too much since my mom wanted me to be so involved with it as I got older.” Karolina’s lips curled downwards, creating the tiniest hint of a scowl, “I wanted to be more, to do more, and mom forcing me to live within the Church was frustrating, you know?”

Nico nodded, remembering her own experiences with her mother and her apparent disapproval when Nico decided that business was not for her. She understood where Karolina was coming from and, having rebelled quite often, agree with the blonde, though she would never admit it out loud. Judging by how relaxed Karolina was though, she seemed to get it anyway.

“... Was it hard, to do the opposite thing your parents wanted you to do?”

Nico hummed, standing up and stretching her arms out. When she saw the pout on Karolina’s face, Nico smirked, flicking the woman’s forehead, “don’t get your panties twisted. I was just stretching. Come on, let’s go get some food.” Not bothering to wait, Nico turned and walked out of the music room and down the hall to the kitchen, glancing back to see Karolina jogging behind her to catch up, pout and all.

_ She’s kind of cute when she pouts. _

Sitting on the high stool, Nico watched, partly amused, as Karolina caught her breath, blue eyes glaring up at brown eyes. Sitting across from Nico, Karolina rested her chin on her hands, eyebrows raised. Nico smirked at her, but got up to see what was in the fridge, deciding on some pancakes.

“Pancakes at noon? How rebellious.”

Flipping the first one, Nico turned around, spatula in hand, “pancakes are good for any time of day, Dean. Besides, I make some mean pancakes, you’ll die once you taste them.”

The blonde laughed, “then I can’t wait to try them.”

Making enough for the both of them, Nico set one of the plates in front of the blonde, grabbing some fruits and syrup from the fridge and set them in between the plates. She watched as Karolina took a slice of pancake and put it in her mouth, grinning triumphantly when Karolina moaned and shoved another slice into her mouth.

“This should be illegal. What did you put in it?”

“That’s my secret.”

Karolina looked up, reaching over to grab Nico’s hand, causing her stiffen up at the contact, “well, as long as you make this every day for me, I won’t ask for the recipe.” The blonde even winked for effect, though it was really a blink, which Nico thought was quite cute. Looking down at their entwined hands, Nico knew that her instinct would be to pull away and withdraw back into her bubble, to snap at Karolina. But today was different. It was still uncomfortable, being touched, but today, there was no immediate need to pull away, well, not yet anyway. A silence fell over the room as Nico stared, wide eyed, at Karolina’s blue eyes. There was a tingle in Nico’s stomach that she knew wasn’t from the pancakes and she’s not entirely sure how to deal with it.

The two women jumped when they heard a crash, breaking their moment. Molly popped into the kitchen, frantically looking at them. Nico didn’t notice the look of disappointment on the blonde’s face when they had to pull away

“Nico! Karolina! Quick, it’s Chase!”

Alarmed, Nico and Karolina stood up and followed Molly out of the villa, wondering what Chase got himself into.

Stopping by a rocky wall, Nico looked up, face palming when she saw Chase hanging upside down, tangled up in some kind of banner. Seeing his best friend, Chase waved, swinging left and right from the movement. Molly yelled for Chase to stop moving and turned to Nico, “I don’t know what to do with him. I don’t even know how he got up there.”

Karolina patted the younger girl’s head, smiling reassuringly, “I’ll get him down, okay?” At Molly’s nod, Karolina turned to make a phone call, before running back to the villa. Nico watched the blonde go before turning her attention back to Chase, who was starting to look a bit pale. Pulling the frantic Molly back, Nico sat down on the dirt ground and tried to assure Chase that he would be fine and that help was on the way. Truth be told, it was more to assure Molly, but Nico thought Chase might need the encouragement, if the fear in his blue eyes were any indication.

Luckily, the poor man didn’t need to wait any longer as Nico spotted a group of men from the top running over to help Chase, Karolina directing their actions, ordering them to be swift but carefully. Nico was pleasantly surprised when the blonde joined the team in lifting Chase up, admiring the show of strength and leadership (she also appreciated the way Karolina’s biceps flexed when she pulled Chase up). Karolina looked down and quickly gave them the thumbs up before leaving with the medics, assuring them that Chase would be in good hands. Nico nodded and proceeded to consul the sobbing Molly, reminding herself to let the girl grieve and not berate her for crying. Molly clung to Nico’s shirt, wetting it with her tears, as the woman patted her head, not sure as to what she should be doing.

“Gert’s going to kill me.” Nico barely heard Molly say those words as the girl sniffled and curled into the embrace, as if she was trying to hide. The older of the two sighed and patted the younger one’s back, “Gert loves you, she’s not going to kill you. Will she yell at you? Yes. But will she hate you? No. I would think that she’s be more upset at Chase than anyone else.”

When Molly still wouldn’t stop crying, Nico sighed, “look, we’ll keep it our secret, alright? We don’t need to tell Gert anything, we’ll just say it was an accident alright? We can deal with it some other time.”

“You promise?”

Nico held out her pinky finger, which Molly grabbed onto earnestly, “I promise.”

It’s not like Nico to compromise, but she can’t resist the pout on Molly’s face, even after all these years. So she can’t say no to Molly, sue her. She can’t help but baby the youngest in the group.

Taking Molly’s hand, Nico guided them back to the villa, where a fuming Gert can be seen from the inside and Amy trying to calm her down. Nico felt the grip on her hand tighten as they approached the villa, so she tried to assure Molly that nothing will happen to her. Stepping into the villa, Nico spots Karolina talking to Dale and Stacey and decided to leave them be, leading Molly to the couch where Alex was, typing away at his phone.

Amy is the first to spot them, running over to them and checking to ensure that they weren’t harmed before Gert pushed her away, glaring up at Nico.

“What. Happened.”

Hearing Molly whimper in fear, Nico stepped in between, shielding molly from her sister’s wrath, “it was an accident. Chase wanted to do some climbing and something went wrong. That’s all there is to it.” Gert glared suspiciously at them, her brown eyes burning holes into the younger Minoru. When Gert didn’t say anything, Nico bounced on the balls of her feet, uncomfortable with the staring and even more uncomfortable with the knowledge that if Gert finds out she’s lying (which she technically isn’t lying), she may be the one dying today.

Luckily, Dale and Stacey walked over and gave Amy their report, “Chase will be fine. He didn’t dislocate his shoulders, but he did tear a few muscles. We’re suggesting that for the rest of this trip, he takes it lightly and only be limited to minimum physical activities, preferably ones that don’t require him to lift his arms above his head. Ice packs will also help, I’m leaving the schedule Chase should be following with Amy, alright?” Hearing that Chase wasn’t terribly injured, Gert calmed down a bit, though she was still quite angry at the reckless stunt.

Dale noticed how wound up Gert was and decided that the energy was better spent elsewhere, pulling Gert out of the villa, saying how Stacey was making Gert’s favorite beef stew tonight and that she should join them. No one stopped Dale and Stacey as they dragged a somewhat reluctant Gert out of the villa. When they saw that the Yorkes family was out of earshot, Amy turned to look at her sister, hands on her hip, “what really happened?”

“Chase came up with another stupid idea to propose.”

Hearing what really caused all this chaos, Amy sighed, pinching the bridge of her nose, muttering about how she told Chase not to do anything stupid. Nico patted her sister’s shoulder awkwardly, not really sure what to do. Seeing the stress on Amy’s face, Nico decided that she was going to visit Chase, walking out of the room and down the halls to Chase’s (and Gert’s) room, where said man was laying on his orange bed, ice pack on his shoulders and bandages on his arms and legs. The blonde tried to wave, but winced at every movement, eventually settling for a smile.

Nico leaned against the wall, one leg propped up, and looked at Chase, “your fiance's furious.”

“Not my fiance, maybe never going to be my fiance after this.”

“Why?”

Chase sighed dejectedly, gesturing to himself, “look at me, Nico. I’m a mess, I can’t even propose to my girlfriend without almost killing myself in the process. I’m reckless, stupid, and too wild for Gert. She deserves someone better than me”

“Is that really how you feel about yourself?”

“Yeah. Yeah it is, Nico.”

“...I see.”

Already emotional, Nico’s lack of care set Chase off, angrily turning to face his friend, “you’re giving up on me too?! My best friend?” Nico scowled, unimpressed by the outburst, shot back snarkingly, “I have no reason to convince you otherwise, if you’ve already convinced yourself you’re unworthy. I don’t believe in lost causes and you are one now, that I can see.” Nico pushed herself away from the wall, leaning down to grab a handful of Chase’s hair, “I told you this wouldn’t work but you were far too optimistic. You made your choices, now live with them.”

Normally, Chase would’ve backed down, but in his anger, he snapped back, “I could say the same for you, Minoru. You give up just as easily, no, you never gave love a chance. That’s why you’re a loner, that’s why you always get your heart broken. You can’t find love because you don’t work to find it and that’s the pathetic thing about you. Face it, you break just as easily as me.”

Insulted and angry, Nico raised her arm to strike Chase, but stopped last second. Chase, to his credit, didn’t look terrified, instead, his own stormy blue eyes boldly stared up at Nico’s dark ones, challenging her to strike him. But behind their anger, there was the emotional pain and anguish that both parties have, locked away in the darkest corners of their hearts. But at times of emotional stress, it would be natural for them to bring it up, despite knowing how much of a taboo it would be.

In their anger, both parties turned away from each other, brooding. Nico turned to stomp out of the room, not saying a word to Chase, who refused to look at his friend. 

Stepping out of the room, Nico quickly walked down the hall to her room, slamming the door shut and threw herself onto the bed. She could feel the tears in her eyes and hurried to wipe them away. It wasn’t like either of them to be so emotional, but then again, they both brought up some things that were better left unsaid. Letting out a shaky breath, Nico tried to calm herself down, panicking when she felt the room caving in. She couldn’t breath with the lump in her throat and gasped, gripping the bed sheets. Nico didn’t register the arms wrapping around her until a soft voice called out to her, “it’s okay, Nico. Listen to my heartbeat, you’re okay.”

Following the instructions, Nico could feel herself calm down, though the tears wouldn’t stop. In a rare show of vulnerability, Nico buried her face into the white shirt, sniffling, hands gripping the fabric tightly.

Karolina shifted, getting comfortable, and allow the other woman to cry, subtling nodding at Amy, who stood nervously by the door, that she could handle this. Amy lingered a moment longer before leaving to check up on Chase, leaving Karolina to comfort the sobbing Nico.


End file.
